Monday, 28 November 2011

GlossyBox November box review

After my honest review of the October Glossybox last month I was pleasantly surprised when last week I unexpectedly received the November box from the Glossybox PR team.

As I mentioned last month I LOVE the concept of Glossy Box.

"5 basic luxuries from new brands and new products from brands that you have enjoyed in GlossyBox before"

That is the spiel you get with the box but this month I have to say I was sadly disappointed with the overall box.

When you open the box you are greeted by a big plastic bag of salts, now I am sure the product is lovely but overall the packaging doesn't say luxury to me. Plus personally the thought of putting salts near my va-jay-jay at any time when I don't have thrush really seems pointless to me.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Dead Sea Bath Salts are £5.50 for a 1kg bag, the bag in the box was 250g.

I'm sure they are lovely but for me they just don't scream luxury. (In fact they don't even whisper luxury to me in their little see-through plastic packaging)

The second product that I took out of the box was the Monu Recovery Balm, this is a full size product which retails for £16.95. I've never heard of Monu, and this is where GlossyBox works, introducing you to new brands you may never have had the chance to try out before.
I'm going to work out what I aacually do with this product before bringing you a more in-depth review in the future.

What is a recovery balm anyway?
Answers on a postcard please.

The third product out of the box was the Arbonne FC5 Ultra Hydrating Hand Creme, a sample size tube which is 15mls small. The full size product costs £19.00. I had mixed feelings on this product. It is a perfect seasonal addition to the box and very hydrating but the smell leaves me nauseated. I really don't like it at all, When you first apply it starts off very citrusy with almost a washing up liquid frangrance, very fresh and clean but before you can truly appreciate it, it dulls down to almost a powdered love hearts sweets fragrance with an underlying smell of death and decay. (Vomits in mouth a little bit)

The fourth product out of the box was the Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps £6.65 for 16 wraps. Now I am a huge fan of nail wraps and I have had a lot of practice at using them but these ones frustrated the LIFE out of me. I have wallpapered walls and ended up with less creases and air bubbles (that is a total lie, I have never wallpapered in my life, but you get the general idea I hope) the edges are extremely rough as well, Any other nail wraps I've tried come with a nail file but these ones didn't which made it a lot harder to smooth the edges. (I live in fear of having to wipe my bum, you just know these will tear through the paper-winces slightly)

I got the leopard skin nail wraps in my box, I know that there are different ones in different boxes but these ones are very me. Rawwrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Ok, here is what has got a lot of people more than slightly annoyed. Last month the box contained perfume samples, this month................. the box contained perfume samples.

Perfume samples are a lot more accessible for people than say for example samples of hand creme. If I want to try a new perfume then I can go to any department store and practically drown myself in perfume samples if that is what floats my boat. It seems to be a bit of an easy way out really. It's like adding a whistle to a party bag, you know no-one really wants it but you have to make up the numbers somehow.

Another thing that has got the crowd riled is that some people got Serge Lutens and some people got Illamasqua Freak.

Now if GlossyBox would have got their shit together they could have had a winning box on their hands here. Freak isn't that easy to get hold of. A sample of this probably would have silenced the people (including me) who are disappointed in the overall box.

I have heard SO much about Freak and am desperate to smell it. I also understand that their has been grumbling (ok, out and out yelling) that people think that it was the bloggers who mainly got Freak in their boxes. Looks at self. Looks at box. Looks at self again. Well I can guarantee that little conspiracy theory isn't true. Dammit, I wish it was though. (stamps foot)

Less perfume samples GlossyBox please. It cheapens the whole idea for me. Or throw in the samples as a little bonus. Everyone likes to get a little sumting, sumting every now and then.

Overall this box really didn't rock my world. there wasn't a standout product for me in the box this month. Everything had the potential to be great but like a new song from Jessie J it just really hasn't lived up to it's hype.

I think the chances are this is the last box I will receive from GlossyBox but I look forward with interest to seeing what the December box holds, I really hope that they can dazzle and wow with the last box of the year. I still think that £12.95 isn't an extortionate amount to spend on trying a box like this each month but with the competition constantly increasing with new box companies seemingly appearing each month now is the time when Glossybox will either turn it around with something special or really begin to alienate their subscribers who will start to leave in droves.

How did you feel about your November GlossyBox?

Did you receive Freak in your box? Or would you have liked to?

OR were you completely happy with your box and think I am talking crap?

18 comments

I always find it incongruous seeing bags of salt like Dead Sea Spa Magik on the shelves in John Lewis too. You're right they don't exactly scream luxury. I did however find this article from Colin really interesting http://colinsbeautypages.co.uk/dead-sea-salt/ and worth a read if you have Dead Sea Salts in your box.....

I got sent the exact same box as you (sent to me for free after an event) I was desperate to get a whiff of Freak too but was disappointed when I didn't get it, it was quite a substantial size sample too. Those Serge ones are 1ml. If they had their thinking caps on they should have sent us the dogs bollocks of boxes so that we would have been all "ohhhh Aahhhh, I'm subbing". Fools xxx

I got the Freak sample and it is a bit gorgeous :) to be honest, I felt it really was the only redeeming inclusion in this month's box as the value of the products was so low in comparison to other boxes, and that wouldn't bother me if the products were of interest, but it all seemed rather bland. Fab review :) xx

So refreshing to read a post about this that isn't all wonderful and gushing. I appreciate that yeah, some people really did find the box fabulous darling, but I fail to believe that they just happen to love absolutely everything that they receive. We all claim to be honest bloggers, but when it comes down to the crunch, so many of us are worried about upsetting PR companies. So, good on you for sticking to your guns!

I got the same box as you (and paid for it) and thought it was poor compared to last months box. I am sporting black with white spots nail wraps which look ace but I had the same problem trying to file the edges, they're ragged after a couple of days. If the next box is similar I will be cancelling. Do post if you work out what to do with the Monu stuff!

Yes I really did want to try Freak Ms Red. I think even a tiny sample would have been the stand out product this box was missing

Hi Kat M. You know me, I'm always honest. I'd rather be honest with my readers. Even if it means the company won't work with me again. But it means if I rave about something people know I'm being truthful x

I love this review. I have been contemplating signing up for this as well, but I think it would royally piss me off if I got 1ml samples in my box especially their signup page gushes all about Luxury/delux/generous sample sizes.

I just signed up to start receiving a Glossy Box once a month due to your reviews. They had got me curious enough to want to get one of my own and they aren't expensive. I get my first one in January and I will let you know what I think about it. I'll probably write a post about it. I look forward to receiving it.

I have to really disagree with your comments on the perfume samples. I read a blog post recently, and for the life of me I cannot find the blog to link you up (I even went through my internet history for the past month but can't see it). Anyway, I read this blog post recently by two beauty bloggers who decided to see how easy it is to get perfume samples like the ones you've been receiving in your glossybox, on the high st. They went round Birmingham or Manchester or somewhere for four hours, shopping whilst they went, going to various shops both high end and high st, talking to consultants, etc, and came away with exactly zero samples. All they could get were cardboard spritz samples. So your claims that you can walk into any shop and pick one up easily isn't so true these days. Granted a few years back these samples were common, but not so much these days. I think people should be happy to receive samples like those. The idea of Glossybox, and others like it, is that you get sample sizes. If you receive a small vial of perfume, it's enough to try it for a few days i.e. the whole point of samples and Glossybox. Granted if you don't like the perfume, fair enough, but moaning about the size, I don't get. The only person I know who is given perfume samples of this size free, is a friend who buys solely from Dior, at our local Debenhams concession, and this year alone she has spent over £4,000. She is there second biggest customer, and for that she is given little extras for being so loyal. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not spend £4,000 on just one brand to get a perfume sample or two!Also, just my opinion, but moaning that perfume samples were included for a second month running confuses me. The way I see it, perfume is just like make up, you'll have more than one eyeshadow, probably more than one blusher, etc. To receive different perfumes in a box two months running is no different to receiving nail polish two months running. The perfumes are still different, and that is the important thing. I think it's great these boxes include a good mix of beauty, skincare, hair and perfume.

Hong Kong can afford to establish an universal pension fund to the most poor older folks who cant even afford to buy an hamberger in Mcdonald, a congee or a dimsum in Chinese restaurants Payday Loans Portland Oregon your credit is indeed bad that credit card and bank employees will run and hide when they see you coming.

Due to increased spam comments I am now having to moderate the comments I receive. I will do my best to get them approved quickly so please, carry on commenting as every time you comment a kitten smiles.